Qualcomm and Apple still in legal battles over patents

For a while now, there has been quite a hot legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm, in fact it’s so hot they both found themselves suing each other on the same day. While Apple was suing Qualcomm over Snapdragon chips on November 29th, Qualcomm filed a request with the US international trade commission to ban the import (and sale) of certain iPhones – including the iPhone 8 and the superior iPhone X – that use Intel-made modems.

Qualcomm says its seeking the ban because these models of iPhones infringe on Qualcomms patents. The ban would affect iPhones running on AT&T and T-Mobile network, and those running on Verizon and Sprint would not be included in the ban because they use Qualcomms modems.

“Apple can import iPhones (regardless of who supplies the modems) that do not infringe the patents asserted in this action, but Apple has no inherent right to infringe Qualcomm’s [non-standards essential patents] through the sale of its iPhones,” Qualcomm said in its filing. “Preventing such infringement, and thereby rewarding innovation, is the very purpose for which the patent system was designed.”

If this battle between the two can be settled any sooner, maybe they’ll both come to the realization that they both could work really well with each other.